TOPIC:

This is an interesting early RC car book, "Model Car Racing by Radio Control" by George Siposs, published in the UK in 1971 (so it's older than I am), which I got on eBay recently.

From a quick look on Amazon, the author went on to publish books on other aspects of RC, as well as full size land sailing, and hang gliding.

The language is "interesting" - it's in English English (UK spelling, and in the passive voice, rather than US English), but a lot of terms, especially the technical ones, are US English (Two-cycle engines, parking lots, etc etc), and some have fallen out of use both sides of the Atlantic - "bull wheel" for spur gear, for example.

The book covers 1/8 scale IC cars, mostly from makes I'd never heard of (or in some cases, at least not regarding RC) - Schuco, Heathkit (UK), Ra/Car (USA), Mancumi (UK), Dynamic (USA), Curtis-Car (USA), Nacoral (Spain), Mardave (described as the first all-British car), and a single mention of Kyosho (a photo taken at I think the the 1971 Nuremburg toy fair). A number of scratchbuilders (or very small level producers) get a mention too: Idris Francis, Gordon Tapsell, Roy Moody, William Burns, & Roy Plessed.

Suspension, and the lack of oil damping is discussed, as are ball bearings ... those where considered far too expensive, so bronze (oilite) was the norm.

According to the book, digital proportional radio sets were 50 GBP, and electric car kits (Mancumi) were 20 GBP - but this was 1971, when petrol was 32p a gallon, a Mars Bar 2p, and the average wage was less than 40 GBP a week.


I'll scan a few of the more interesting pictures & captions at some point.



Note the outfit (& hair) on the cover - the 60's didn't end until at least 1975

Sounds like a very cool book. Wish it was available as a PDF.

Nice book! I have to have a look at a big book market here.

For anyone interested in the history of R\C George Siposs was the founder of R.O.A.R and hand built some amazing cars, there is some history and a vintage video here. www.axialracing.../951500000

And an example of some of his amazing hand built cars here.
goldenyearsrc.c...atchbuilt/

Amazing George